Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced that toll taxes on Mumbai commuters will be scrapped. The decision was taken during the last cabinet meeting of the Maharashtra government before the Assembly elections. This is not just a monetary relief for lakhs of daily commuters but also an answer to an old long-standing demand to de-congest the City at the toll plazas and traffic light junctions.
Relief For Mumbaikars
The people of Mumbai have often raised their voice about the burden of toll taxes levied on them to commute daily between the main routes such as the Expressway between Mumbai and Pune, and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The elimination of toll charges will not only reduce travel expenses but is also expected to encourage smoother vehicular movement by cutting down waiting times at toll booths.
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Government Scraps Toll
The ₹45 toll, collected at checkpoints like Mulund, Airoli, Dahisar, and Mankhurd, was originally introduced for 55 flyovers built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) during the Shiv Sena-BJP government (1995-1999). Despite MSRDC’s intent to continue the toll to fund the new Thane Creek Bridge, the government decided to scrap it. This move followed pressure from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which argued that the construction costs had already been recovered and demanded an end to the toll.
